new puppy & a beardie

[BeardieNewbie15]

So a few things to comment on...first is the topic of introducing beardies to dogs. I own a pug chihuahua cross and a shepherd cross and they are both different with Sheila. Murphy, the pug chi x, is intimidated by Sheila...he wants to sniff her but if she moves he backs off. Mataya, the shepherd cross, on the other hand will walk right up and stick her nose in Sheilas face, then walk away completely satisfied with the scent. However my boyfriends dog, who is a blue heeler, may go after a beardie. His uromastyx got out once and Chico (the dog) chased it under a shoe rack and most likely would have killed it if we hadn't got there first. But that is in his nature (chase and herd and bite at things) so I wouldn't expect that from your pug.

Second issue being the crate training. This may come off a bit rude but please don't take offence, I am just a dog lover and owner and I only want what is best for your dog. If you are out of the house from 4:30am to 4pm what made you think you had time for a dog, let alone a puppy? When we got our first dog, Mataya, she was only left in her crate while everyone was out of the house (from 9 am to 3 pm) Some days my mom would come home on her lunch break and let Mataya out and other days we would ask our neighboor to let her out around noon. Murphy, my small dog, was really hard to house train. The smaller the dog, the smaller the bladder. If you left your pug in a crate the entire time you were at work he/she would definately go to the bathroom in it, then be stuck in it until you got home. Do you have a neighboor or a friend near by that could come by and let the puppy out for a bit? You need to make sure you have enough time to properly train your dog. Many unwanted dogs from a shelter have agression issues, possesion issues etc, most of which could have been provented with proper training. Remember your pug is going to live for 12-14 years. If it isn't trained properly thats going to be a LONG 12-14 years! Even though I can tell you really want your dog and you want to do the right thing remember not to be selfish. A dog is a huge commitment, like a beardie! Good luck, any other questions please feel free to ask!

 

[TamiLynne]

I just had a couple of thoughts to share, for what it's worth.

You just got a new puppy. He's been in the home for a short time, adjusting to a new schedule, new surroundings, new people, new food, new EVERYTHING. This is a very educational time for this pup, but also a mildly stressful one. If it were my puppy, I would try keeping the "new" things to a minimum during the adjustment period. You have things to work on: house training and obedience being top priority. I would want to ABSOLUTELY trust that my pup understands the "leave it" command before introducing a potential "prey item" (beardie) to them at such a young and inquisitive age. Remember, any dog is a dog first, regardless of breed. Their initial instinct to react to something is fight, flight, freeze, or fidget. Pugs are AWESOME fidgeters. But you must also understand that any of the "Four Fs" can turn into another one in the blink of an eye. So let's imagine your pup is being fidgety in someone's arms as you described during your first introduction to your beardie.. what would happen if he was SO worried about that little lizard, and the fact that he is being restrained and kind of forced to interact with it, that he decided to turn to "fight"? He could easily hurt your beardie or you - by misdirecting his worry or anxiety. That doesn't mean he's a bad dog, it means he's overwhelmed. Long story short - I'm sure your pup will grow up to be a wonderful dog and interact calmly with your beardie, if you allow him the time that he needs to acclimate to his new lifestyle. Of course, all told, your veterinarian will be a wealth of knowledge on this topic. When you bring your new kid in for his vaccinations, is a perfect time to present the doctor with your situation and see what he/she thinks is best for your pets.

In my own home, I have one dog (border collie/boston terrier cross) that I would NEVER in a million years trust around my reptiles or birds. He's simply got too high of a prey drive. He's an amazing dog and extremely obedient, but small running things make him want to eat them. That's what dogs do. Once upon a time, they were predators, after all. My other lab/husky mix will try to make friends with any furred/feathered/scaled critter around. He tries to lick the frogs up at our camp, and sits calmly and seems to almost enjoy the cockatiels climbing on his back and even chewing his ears. It's a case by case thing. But I still strongly encourage you to TAKE YOUR TIME with this introduction. Let your pup warm up to things, in lieu of throwing him into the fire. The absolute last thing you want to do is make a bad impression. Slowing things down should avoid that.

Just my 2 cents!!

-Tami*